Absorbent disposable tissue and towel products have recently become increasingly softer and smoother, while retaining or increasing their absorbent capacity. Consumers have become increasingly more conscious about the tactile properties of such products, which include facial and bathroom tissue, and household and industrial towels and wipers. It is also to be understood that a single creped product while acceptable for many wiping purposes in the past, suffers in comparison to product made in accordance with many of the current papermaking technologies which produce tissues having a significantly increased consumer perception of softness and smoothness. Therefore, a number of processes have been proposed to produce products having increased softness and smoothness coupled with adequate absorbency characteristics as set forth in Canadian Patent No. 1,176,886, issued October 30, 1984 to Nuttall and assigned to the Assignee herein.
In said Canadian patent, there is disclosed a process for the manufacture of a soft absorbent disposable paper product which is twice creped on either or both sides. The present invention represents an improvement over the aforementioned process wherein greater control, and a more precise definition of process parameters has been achieved thereby resulting in an improved product at a lower manufacturing cost. It should be understood that the teachings of the Canadian patent are incorporated herein by reference.